1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system comprising a magnetic head responsible for recording/reproduction of signal to and from a running magnetic tape, and a pair of guide means provided on both sides of the magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a widely accepted way of performing magnetic recording/reproduction using a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system (simply referred to as xe2x80x9cstationary head systemxe2x80x9d hereinafter on occasion), in which magnetic tape runs on a fixed magnetic head.
As shown in FIG. 18, a magnetic head 100 used for the stationary head system is positioned as being projected by a predetermined amount of projection towards a magnetic tape 101 which is stretched under a predetermined tension in order to ensure a proper contact therewith. The magnetic head 100 has a slide-contact plane which comes into contact with the magnetic tape 101, and the slide-contact plane is curved in an arc form along a direction of tape running so as to ensure a proper contact with the magnetic tape 101.
The proper contact herein means that only a small spacing is formed between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape during tape running, which successfully produces output large enough for recording/reproduction.
Recent demands for increased recording density raise a problem of increasing not only recording density of the magnetic tape but also transfer rate. To increase the transfer rate, it is indispensable to increase a relative speed between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape, which is generally referred to as a tape speed.
An increased tape speed in the stationary head system using the magnetic head having such a curved slide-contact plane, however, undesirably increases spacing between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape, which degrades contact of the both to thereby cause irregular output. A reason for such degraded contact for the magnetic head having the curved slide-contact plane will be explained below referring to FIG. 19.
FIG. 19 shows the magnetic tape 101 running on the magnetic head 100 in a direction of an arrow M, where the magnetic head 100 has a curved slide-contact plane and a gap g approximately at the center thereof along a running direction of the magnetic tape 101. When the magnetic tape 101 runs, an air flow generated in the vicinity of the magnetic tape 101 flows into a spacing between the magnetic tape 101 and the slide-contact plane of the magnetic head 100 as indicated by an arrow N in FIG. 19, so that thickness of an air layer flowing between the magnetic tape 101 and the magnetic head 100 increases. This widens the spacing between the gap g of the magnetic head 100 and the magnetic tape 101 to thereby cause irregular output.
Volume of the entrained air increases as the tape speed increases, so that the problem of the irregular output will become more serious in the stationary head system using the conventional magnetic head 100.
In other words, degradation of spacing characteristic between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape makes a cause for preventing the magnetic recording/reproducing system from being improved in the recording density.
The present invention is proposed considering the conventional situation and provides a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of attaining high recording density while successfully ensuring a proper contact between a magnetic tape and a magnetic head.
In one aspect of the present invention, a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system comprises a magnetic head responsible for recording/reproduction of signal to and from a running magnetic tape; and a pair of guide means provided in a depth-wise direction and on both sides of the magnetic head. The magnetic head has a flat slide-contact plane which comes into contact with the magnetic tape, and performs recording/reproduction of signal while pressurizing the magnetic tape which runs as being guided by the guide means.
In thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system, the magnetic head is positioned so that the slide-contact plane thereof presses a magnetic tape which is stretched between a pair of guide means, and has a flat slide-contact plane. The stationary head magnetic recording/reproducing system can block air entrainment into a space between the slide-contact plane and the magnetic tape during tape running, which desirably reduces spacing during the tape running. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of ensuring stable signal recording/reproduction while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.
Thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system is also advantageous in that the spacing between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape becomes smaller as the tape speed grows faster. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of attaining high recording density while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.
In another aspect of the present invention, a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system comprises a magnetic head responsible for recording/reproduction of signal to and from a magnetic tape running unidirectionally; a first guide means provided in a depth-wise direction on a tape enter side of the magnetic head; and a second guide means provided in the depth-wise direction on a tape exit side of the magnetic head. The magnetic head has a flat slide-contact plane which comes into contact with the magnetic tape, and performs recording/reproduction of signal while pressurizing the magnetic tape which runs as being guided by the first and second guide means. The magnetic head also has a bevel plane at an end of the slide-contact plane on the tape enter side.
In thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system, the magnetic head is positioned so that the slide-contact plane presses a magnetic tape which is stretched between a pair of guide means to thereby bend the magnetic tape towards the depth-wise direction on the tape enter side. The magnetic head has a flat slide-contact plane and a bevel plane at the end thereof on the tape enter side. The stationary head magnetic recording/reproducing system can block the air entrainment into the space between the slide-contact plane and the magnetic tape during tape running, which desirably reduces the spacing during the tape running. This is also advantageous in that dispersing contact pressure between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head, to thereby reduce damages of the magnetic tape and suppress the deformation of the magnetic head due to abrasion. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of ensuring stable signal recording/reproduction while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.
Thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system is still also advantageous in that the spacing between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape becomes smaller as the tape speed grows faster. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of attaining high recording density while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system comprises a first magnetic head and a second magnetic head responsible for recording/reproduction of signal to and from a running magnetic tape; and a pair of guide means provided in a depth-wise direction and at sides of the first and second magnetic heads other than those facing each other. Each of the first and second magnetic heads has a flat slide-contact plane which comes into contact with the magnetic tape, and has a bevel plane at a corner between the slide-contact plane and a side plane facing each of the guide means.
In thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system, the first and second magnetic heads are positioned so that the slide-contact planes thereof press a magnetic tape which is stretched between a pair of guide means. The first and second magnetic heads respectively have a flat slide-contact plane and a bevel plane at an end thereof on a side the respective guide means are provided. The stationary head magnetic recording/reproducing system can block the air entrainment into a space between the slide-contact planes of the first/second magnetic heads and the magnetic tape during tape running, which desirably reduces spacing during the tape running. This is also advantageous in that dispersing contact pressure between the magnetic tape and the first/second magnetic heads, to thereby reduce damages of the tape and suppress the deformation of the first and second magnetic heads due to abrasion. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of ensuring stable signal recording/reproduction while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.
Thus composed stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system is still also advantageous in that the spacing between the first/second magnetic heads and the magnetic tape becomes smaller as the tape speed grows faster. Accordingly, the present invention can successfully provide a stationary head type magnetic recording/reproducing system capable of attaining high recording density while successfully ensuring a proper contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head.